These days, it's easy to hop online and instantly access the complete life history of any famous
person who ever lived.
And even some, it turns out, that probably never lived at all.
Yes, despite all the legends and stories, it turns out that some of the biggest names
in history may have been totally made up.
Here's a look at some famous people who may never have been real in the first place.
Mulan
Disney introduced audiences around the world to the legend of Mulan, but she was already
a big deal in Chinese literature.
The tale of a warrior's daughter dressing as a man and fighting in her ailing father's
place is a timeless bit of badass girl power.
Unfortunately, there's not much evidence that a real Mulan ever existed.
The story of Mulan first appeared in the sixth century, not in the history books, but rather
in an epic poem fittingly called "The Ballad of Mulan."
The story didn't really become popular until a pair of plays written in the sixteenth and
seventeenth centuries made Mulan a household name.
Which is ironic, because one of the playwrights changed her family name to Hua because
it was more poetic — something that probably wouldn't happen if this was the story of a
real person.
Sorry, Mooshoo!
"alright that's it.
Dishonor.
On your whole family.
Make a note of this, Dishonor on you.
Dishonor on your cow."
Robin Hood
The legendary English folk hero Robin Hood is well-known for robbing from the rich and
giving to the poor, residing in Sherwood Forest with his gang of outlaws, and wooing Maid
Marian.
The stories about him are certainly fictitious.
But could they be based on the exploits of a real person?
Or was Robin Hood totally made up?
Identifying a single person as the basis for the famous outlaw is nearly impossibly difficult.
That's because, as the stories about him began to grow in popularity in the 13th and 14th
centuries, random English outlaws began to call themselves Robin Hood.
So the historical records are littered with accounts of these many different Robins Hood.
Robin Hoods?
Robins...Hoods?
These guys.
Nevertheless, some historians speculate that Robin Hood may have been based, in part, on
nobleman Fulk FitzWarin III, who rebelled against King John, one of Robin Hood's foes.
If he was the basis for Robin Hood, then a name change was a good decision, as "Fulk
FitzWarin" doesn't quite have the same ring to it.
Pope Joan
The story goes that in the year 857, the Catholic Church received a major shock when the Pope
suddenly and unexpectedly gave birth during a processional.
It turned out that an exceptionally talented woman had disguised herself as a man, entered
the priesthood, and risen through the ranks to become Pope — all without anybody guessing
she was female until the whole pregnancy thing gave it away.
The story of Pope Joan has been held up for centuries as an amazing tale of faith and
feminism, but it may in fact just be a story.
Though it was believed to be true for centuries, resulting in hundreds of documents detailing
her life, not to mention paintings, sculptures, and even what many say is a carving of Pope
Joan in St. Peter's Square itself, the Catholic Church's official stance is that she's an
urban legend.
And legitimate scholars back them up.
Professor Valerie Hotchkiss, of Southern Methodist University, believes Joan's story comes largely
from a single book: History of Emperors and Popes, written by a monk named Martin Polonus
centuries after Pope Joan's supposed life and death.
And once that book got out, everyone just assumed it was true, making it history's first
known example of #FakeNews.
King Arthur
Unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably familiar with the Arthurian legend.
You know, guy finds the magic sword Excalibur, invents the bro code with his posse, and then
finds the Holy Grail while creating the utopian society of Camelot?
"Camelot!"
"It's only a model"
"shh!"
Well, while these fantastical stories are clearly a mishmash of folklore, some believe
the legends of King Arthur are based on a real person.
For instance, some historians suggest the Roman military commander Lucius Artorius Castus
as a possible candidate.
The King Arthur movie from 2004, starring Clive Owen, follows this line of reasoning
and depicts him as a Roman soldier.
Others suggest Riothamus, king of the Britons during the fifth century.
It's just as likely, however, that King Arthur and Camelot are completely made up.
Which is probably just as well.
"No, on second thought let's not go to Camelot.
It is a silly place."
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